Eagle Three
by Sewtunes
Summary: This story is my version of how Sam and Jules may have progressed from kissing at the end of "Eagle Two" to Sam sneaking into the Barn at the beginning of "Backwards Day."
1. Chapter 1

Jules was confused. He'd kissed her! And she liked it. He'd broken through her defenses. That pretty little speech from a few weeks back was simply a defense mechanism. She'd hoped to keep him from encroaching on her space and her heart, but apparently it didn't work. He didn't listen. He felt like kissing her in front of the Royal York, and he had done so. Now what was she supposed to do? He'd accomplished one thing: she'd forgotten all about the day's fiasco of a security detail where she'd lost sight of the primary she was guarding.

She stared up at him, slightly confused and out of breath. "Sam, what are you thinking? I said I wanted to go home. Why'd you do that?"

"Because I wanted to. Because you needed it. Because we've been denying ourselves for so long. Take your pick," he responded.

She grabbed his arm and headed for the large black SUV that the Team drove. "Let's get out of here before someone comes out and sees us. I'll go with you to take the truck back to headquarters. Then we'll talk. I still need to walk."

Her plan made sense to Sam. It was what he wanted: more time with Jules tonight. Even if it was only a short ride back to headquarters to return the truck. Her Jeep was there as was his bike. She was so prickly where he was concerned. But the more she protested, the more he got the feeling she was protesting to herself as much as to him. He liked that idea.

Back at the Barn, they retreated to their respective changing rooms. Debrief would happen at the beginning of their next shift. It had been a long day. Ed was off to date night with his wife. Greg would be finalizing his report, and who knew what the others were doing. Sam was in his locker room hoping that Jules would not let the evening end here. Meanwhile Jules was trying to decide how she wanted the rest of the evening to go. She SHOULD insist that Sam go home-by himself. She should not spend any more time with him. But that kiss... She smiled softly to herself. It was everything she'd hoped a kiss from Sam could be. Demanding yet sensitive. He certainly knew how to kiss. Her lips still sizzled at the memory. If she were brutally honest with herself, she'd admit that she wanted more kisses from Sam.

They had often spent time together after a hot call decompressing, sometimes at The Goose with the Team and other times alone. She recalled one such evening spent sitting in the back of her Jeep over hot coffee laughing about Sam's ability-or rather his inability-at swimming. At such times, they'd shared a few details about their previous lives and had gotten to know each other fairly well. They were good friends. She almost didn't want to complete the thought that good friends quite often make good lovers.

As she shed her suit for more comfy clothes, she considered her options. Knowing what she should do and what she wanted to do gave her a lot to ponder. Should she insist they remain friends, or would she allow herself to move forward with the relationship? She knew what Sam wanted. His kiss tonight had shown her that.

Still undecided, she exited the dressing room and found Sam waiting for her. His pose was casual, but his face told a different story. He was worried that she'd blow him off. He took one look at her and knew what she'd decided even if she didn't.

"It's not what I want, but let's go home." He paused, "Let's go to our respective homes and think about this. I know you, Jules. You don't want to rush into anything, and I don't want to rush you either."

She let out the breath she was holding, not even realizing how much he could read from her face. He was right. She wasn't ready to move anything forward tonight. "Sounds like a plan. Shall we talk about this more tomorrow after shift?"

A startled Sam looked at her carefully. Jules was making the suggestion that they meet up after work? "Yeah," he smiled and spoke softly, "that'll work for me." Outwardly he was as calm as he could be, but inwardly he was rejoicing. Jules had suggested they meet again! It hadn't been his idea. Progress!

When they arrived at the car park, Jules looked at his bike and the dark night and made a suggestion, "Would you like to throw that bike into the back of the Jeep and let me give you a lift home?"

Uh, yeah, he thought. Too bad I don't live a long way from headquarters.


	2. Chapter 2 The Debate

Eagle Three 2

A/N: I was so excited to publish the first chapter of my first story that I forgot to include any disclaimers at the beginning of the story! So here it is: I have no affiliation or claim to the show _Flashpoint_. I was just a happy viewer until they concluded filming. The characters in this story are borrowed from the show but the situations in these stories are mine.

The period of time between "Eagle Two" and "Between Heartbeats" is probably very short. There are only two other episodes between the kiss and Jules' getting shot, and only one of those even mentions the relationship. I'd like to think the time span was longer than 2-3 weeks, that they had least several weeks of happiness before it all came to a screeching halt. Maybe I can flesh out some more details here.

* * *

Shift ended the next day with no hot calls. It had been a slow day beginning with the debrief from the security detail at the Royal York the day before. Debrief was followed by workouts and patrolling. The Team was grateful for a quiet day.

Jules exited her locker room after shift to find Sam waiting for her. "Hey, Jules," he greeted her, straightening up from his slouch against the wall. "Are we still gonna go somewhere and talk?"

"Don't we was always?" Jules responded as they left the SRU floor of headquarters. "I like our informal debriefs at the end of the day. I don't want anything to change and ruin our friendship."

"Not gonna happen," Sam quickly assured her. His blue eyes twinkled at her sending a sizzle through her.

She shivered and hoped that Sam hadn't noticed. How can I forget that kiss now, she wondered and couldn't decide whether to ignore the feeling or to act on it. How do I go back to thinking of Sam as just the cocky rookie, nothing more than a teammate and good friend? And what will a relationship with him do to my career? Maybe their upcoming chat would help. Maybe not.

They left his bike chained up at the station and exited the parking lot in her Jeep. "Where to?" she asked, glancing briefly at him before entering the street.

"There's a park a few miles from here. It has a walking trail. Let's go take that walk you didn't get last night." Sam offered.

"Sounds perfect. How fast you wanna walk?" she teased him.

"Oh, no, don't tell me you want to go jogging instead! It's too hard to talk while running. We need to talk," Sam complained about Jules' plan. "Didn't we work out enough this morning?"

"You can never work out too much," Jules responded.

"Then I have some suggestions for other ways to work out," Sam teased.

"Oh, yeah? Think again. Not gonna happen, Sam."

"Aw, come on. You can't deny that you liked that kiss last night. I want to try it again. I've seen the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking," he challenged.

Busted, Jules thought to herself. He wasn't supposed to notice her interest in him. She must not be as sneaky with her peeks as she'd thought she'd been.

The park was up ahead. She turned her attention back to her driving and tried to locate the entrance to the car park.

Sam pointed up ahead toward the left, "there it is. You enter there to park."

"Thanks, Sam." Jules waited to turn left into the lot, found an empty slot and pulled the Jeep into a slot before she spoke again. "We're here. I'll walk, not run, if it makes you happy."

Sam thinks his best strategy is to not jump straight into the topic they really want to discuss but to try another topic in the hopes of relaxing her. He can tell she's knotted up and figures she's trying to hard to avoid her own feelings. Even in his short time on the team, he has learned that Jules is feisty, self-contained and avoids expressing her feelings. He wants her to admit those feelings for him, so he's got to tread carefully here.

They stop at the map of the park at its entrance and study where to access the walking trail. They have about an hour of sunlight left, which Sam hopes is long enough to walk and talk. The trail wanders through trees and beside a stream. The last hour of sunlight casts a golden glow over everything. The temperature is very comfortable, so the park is filled with joggers, families and walkers. They are hardly alone, but they are anonymous. No one from the SRU is around to overhear their very personal conversation.

Sam leads off, "So I know you have brothers. How many?"

Jules is curious about the question and why it is off-topic, but she just shrugs her shoulders and answers him, "Four."

"And where do you fall in birth order?"

"Youngest. I've had to battle against boys and men all my life. Guess that's why I fit so well on the Team, " Jules explains.

"I just had two younger sisters. Never did learn to like Barbie," Sam joked. "So you've always had to fight for your place, huh? No wonder you don't want to mess up your career by getting personal."

"In my family, I was always the smallest and had to learn to fight early on for my space."

Sam looked sideways at her and asked, "What's different now?"

Jules halted and turned on him, "Is that a dis to my height challenged stature?"

"Of course it is. You are still the smallest on the Team. Only now you have more 'brothers'."

She cocked her head sideways as she tried to decide whether to call him on that statement or not. It wasn't worth the effort of disputing. After all, it was true. That didn't mean she'd let him get away with it though. "Wanna see who can take who tomorrow during workout?" Jules issued the challenge.

"Nah, I'm not complaining, just beginning to understand a bit more about you, that's all." Sam grabbed her hand and set off at a fast walking pace. Changing the subject seemed like a reasonable thing to do about now, or he might end up getting embarrassed at work tomorrow. Jules left her hand in his, much to his surprise. He liked holding hands with her and knew to enjoy it while he could.

After a few minutes of power walking, Jules slowed her pace. Sam had no trouble adjusting. He liked trying to keep up with her. It felt right. Now to convince Jules of that.

Deciding that sitting down for the next conversation might be best, Sam pulled her down on the next bench they came too. From it, they could see and hear the babbling brook. Such a cliche, but it was a peaceful place to have what he hoped would not be a very loud or heated exchange of opinions between them. But with Jules, anything was possible.

Jules thinks correctly that it must be time to get down to the nitty gritty of their conflict. Sam was definitely ready to risk his job for a personal relationship with her. She just wasn't sure she was ready to risk it all in spite of the tension between them and the exciting kiss they'd shared. Yes, she could so get used to Sam's kisses. They were almost worth the risk. So let the debate begin.

And so it went back and forth with both of them putting forth their concerns and desires. Neither managed to persuade the other until Sam decided to try another tactic. During their debate, passionate pleas had forced them to stand up and argue face to face. Their serene setting all but forgotten.

"Jules, I get that on the job, you are a negotiator, but you don't need to negotiate me. I get all of your concerns. They are valid. I just think you are overlooking one major factor," Sam argued.

"What's that?"

"This." Sam leaned in and kissed her for the second time. This time he quickly deepened the kiss. He didn't give her a chance to pull away. Jules wanted to deny the effect he had on her, but the chemistry between them was undeniable. It had been there from the first time they met. She responded almost immediately, actively participating in the passion, wrapping her arms around his neck pulling their bodies closer together.

When the embrace ended, both were breathless and breathing hard. "Nice," Jules drawled out the one syllable word, "but this doesn't solve our work dilemma. There's supposed to be nothing personal between teammates."

"Yeah, but this goes beyond personal. This thing between us is unavoidable."

"So, what are we gonna do about it? You know I'm not ready to take this any further right now."

"Figured you'd say that."

"Why?"

"Because I know you . You think too much. Me, I just go with my gut," Sam paused a moment, "which is telling me we can't deny this thing between us for much longer."

Jules took a deep breath and responded, "Well, we're just gonna have to try harder. I've already told you: I'm not ready to gamble my career on getting personal."

Sam took a step sideways and muttered an oath under his breath. He inhaled and agreed, "We'll try it your way for a bit longer. But I promise you, it won't last long." He issued the challenge knowing that Jules would try, yet fail, in her quest to deny the fire between them. He'd known where this relationship was going to go after his first glance at the sexy sniper at a crime scene. He just had to regroup and figure out how to accomplish his goal of convincing her. Taking her by force, i.e. not overwhelming her senses, was not the way to handle Jules. She had to think this was her idea. He smiled at the thought and began thinking about ways to convince her. He'd have to be clever and sneaky.


	3. Chapter 3 Hot Call

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating this story. RL interfered and then my muse had other ideas about what I should be writing. Check out my second story which can be found in the M section. Remember that reviews are greatly appreciated! the fourth chapter might be a bit slow in coming as I haven't finished outlining it yet. I also think it might need to be moved to the M section! I hope that doesn't disappoint too many readers...

Disclaimer: I only write for my pleasure and I hope your enjoyment. The characters are not mine; they were created by the producers of _Flashpoint_ and apparently several other entities affiliated with the production of the TV series. They belong to those people. I just take them out and play with them occasionally. The situations in this story are mine and should not be used by anyone else.

* * *

Sam and Jules spent another few days dancing around each other. Jules continued to resist Sam's efforts to deepen their relationship. She was rarely totally successful. One night they had gone to the Goose with the Team after shift. It had not been easy keeping their growing friendship a secret from the Team. Their friends were trained profilers who could sense what many people wouldn't. On another night, they'd grabbed a quick burger after work. Normal stuff. Normal except for their nearly insane desires to tear the clothes off each other. Both nights their kissing had threatened to go beyond kissing. Jules was still afraid of what getting personal might do to compromise her job, the job she'd worked so hard to get and continued working hard to keep. Sam delighted in teasing her and tempting her control. He knew that someday soon he'd break through the barriers.

Patience was not one of Sam's strengths. Yes, he could lie still for hours when in sniper mode. In everything else, he was a hurry up and get it done type of guy. This slow courting of Jules was wearing on him. He had to put himself into sniper mode and continue to wait patiently. The moment to strike would come. He'd known it since he first laid eyes on the sexy sniper chick. He knew she'd known it since their first kiss when she couldn't conceal her response from him. He smiled to himself as he recalled the first kiss. Her reactions gave him hope and patience especially since she continued to respond similarly to his kisses. He refused to let a night end without at least one kiss. Saying goodnight at the door sucked, but the wait would be worth it in his opinion.

The Team was suiting up after workout to prepare for a day of patrolling, when the claxon blared, and Kira called out: "Team One. Hot call. Gear up." As the Team members raced toward the gun cages to gather what they needed, Greg stopped by the dispatcher's desk to ask for more details. "The 911 caller just said a kid was waving a gun around at a local high school. No shots fired yet," she responded. "I'll see if I can find out more and relay that to you."

"He's not actively threatening anyone at the moment. He just wants his friends and classmates to leave him alone so he can shoot himself. A bystander has told us his name. I'll look him up and give you more info as you drive to the scene."

"Thanks, Kira." Greg did his characteristic double knock with his fist on the desk as he turned and headed down to the garage with the rest of the Team. Three large black SUVs raced out toward another hot call.

"Team One, head for Leaside High school and the ball field," Greg informed the Team. "Our upset kid is Scott Panko, and he attends the school. Kira, what did you find out about him?"

"He's 17, and his best friend recently died in a car accident." she responded. "Scott was driving. I've got his mother on the line. She says he's been feeling guilty and blaming himself, so she's very worried he'll follow through on this threat."

"Have uniforms bring her to the school. We'll be needing more information from her," Greg ordered. "Tell me about the accident."

"The best friend's name is Joe Alston. He was in the passenger seat of Scott's car when a drunk driver blew through a red light and T-boned the passenger side of Scott's car. Joe didn't stand a chance." Kira described the accident from the report she'd pulled up on her computer.

"So the accident is not this kid's fault at all'" Greg concluded. "Okay, Team," he spoke through the headsets, "we are going to be dealing with an adolescent who can't think clearly, who can't separate his emotions from a more rational reaction to the accident. We'll have to convince him if we are to get him back home today." They arrived at the school, three black SUV's pulling to quick stops in the ball field parking lot. It was easy to spot Scott. He was the boy waving a gun around in the middle of a circle of teens. A small group of other teen-agers were nearby, none out of range of the gun, but as previously mentioned, he wasn't threatening anyone. His stress and agitation were clear. He was still hollering for them to all leave him alone. "I just want to be by myself," the team heard as they exited the SUVs.

The Team assembled behind the vehicles to plan their strategy. "Spike, in the truck. Wordy, Lewis and Jules, keep those other kids contained and move them out of range. Sam, I want you to negotiate," Greg instructed.

"What? Me, Boss? Are you sure? I'm not very good at negotiating," Sam protested.

"No, duh, you got me and Jules shot at your last practice session!" Spike teased. Jules nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes, but I think Sam can bring something to this particular negotiation. He lost his best friend in Afghanistan. His perspective might be what this kid needs to realize that the accident wasn't his fault," Greg explained. "I'll be in your ear feeding you information and suggestions. I'm going to go talk to his mother. Maybe she'll have some more insight into Scott's state of mind."

Ed jumped in and said, "I'll cover Sam."

Sam processed Greg's request and had to agree that he just might have a perspective that some of the other team members wouldn't. He took a deep breath, handed off his gun to a Team member and headed out to the field with Ed close behind.

Scott noticed them coming and demanded to know why the cops were there. "I just want to die alone and go be with Joe. I killed him! It should have been me that died!" he cried. At the moment, the gun was pointed downward.

"Scott, my name is Sam Braddock. I'm just here to help you get home today. I just want to talk with you about your plans. Why do you think it's your fault?" Sam questioned the distraught boy, trying to get him to stop and think and slow down.

"Because I was driving the car! That's why. "

While Sam is negotiating with Scott, Jules, Wordy and Lew had managed to corral and move the other students off the ball field and out of range just in case the gun went off. They maintained control of the students while listening to Sam's part of the talk via their head sets. Occasionally Scott's words drifted over their way.

"Okay, you were driving. I get that. But why is it your fault? I heard you had a green light." Sam continued to try to get through to Scott.

"Yes."

"So how is it your fault that someone ran a red light and hit your car?"

"It just is. It feels like it's my fault." The agitated Scott turned his gun toward Sam for the first time, causing the entire Team to go on alert and aim their guns at him. Jules sucked in her breath and watched closely worrying about Sam's safety. She felt like she should be the one protecting him, not Ed. She should be beside him just like he'd been beside her when she was talking Penny into releasing Lily. That had been a tough negotiation. Of course she trusted Ed, but she knew she was as good a sniper as he, if not better. And it was Sam out there, not someone else. Her Sam. Oh no, once that thought crossed her mind, she knew she was in trouble. She shook her head and warned herself to pay attention to the job. She could think about those implications later.

Sam stepped forward, defying the muttered words from Ed in his ear about not getting closer, that maybe it was time to back off. Scott continued to shake his gun toward Sam.

"No, Ed," Sam muttered back to his teammate. "He's not really aiming at me."

"Scott, Scott, just listen." Sam spoke up so that Scott could hear him. "It's not your fault."

"NO!" The gun wavered around some more. "It is my fault Joe died. It's my fault," he hollered becoming more hysterical.

"Scott, just because it feels that way, doesn't mean it is your fault." Sam continued trying to reason with Scott as he edged closer with his arms held up. "Stop a minute. Think. Do you recall what other people have told you about the accident?" "You're doing fine, Sam," he heard from Greg via the headset. " He is calming down a bit."

"Yes, they said the driver was drunk."

"And you think you could have stopped or avoided a drunk driver?"

"No."

"So how is it your fault?"

"I told you. I was driving. I miss him. Joe was my best friend. I can't go on without him." Scott re-escalated and became frantic. He waved the gun around in a frenzy. "It's my fault," he continued saying.

"Scott, calm down," Sam continued to try to keep the boy's attention away from his own thoughts. "Scott, it's not your fault." Suddenly the gun went off. Sam felt the spray of dirt from the bullet near his feet. Ed grabbed Sam and pulled him backward. The rest of the Team hurriedly aimed their guns at Scott who stood motionless staring at his gun in disbelief.

"Jules, you're Sierra One," spoke Greg into the ears of all the Team.

"Copy," she replied and kept her gun trained on Scott.

"Oh no, oh no," Scott kept muttering. Then he looked at Sam. "I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt anyone else."

"Then you need to put down the gun so we can talk. There's nothing yet that can't be undone. I know you didn't mean for the gun to go off. You haven't hurt anyone yet." Sam tried to reason with him.

"I still deserve to die. I can't go on without him," protested Scott.

"Sure you can. It'll be tough, but you can go on. I won't kid you and tell you it will be easy, but you can. Someday you'll even be happy again. Just put down the gun, so we can talk about this." Sam continued speaking slowly and clearly trying to make an impression on Scott.

"No! I'll never be happy again," argued Scott.

"Sure you will," responded Sam. "You won't forget your friend, but you will find peace."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've been there."

"What do you mean?" Scott was suddenly listening and appeared to be receptive to Sam's words.

Jules whispered to Gred, "He seems to be de-escalating. Yellow maybe..."

"When I was 9, my little sister was hit by a car as we walked to the park to play." Sam had Scott's attention now. And Jules. She didn't know about his sister.

"Did she die?

"Yes. And I grew up anyway, finished school, went into the Army, and now I work for the Police. I have new friends and girlfriends."

"Doesn't matter. I won't ever be happy again. I'm so unhappy my family will be better off without me." In the truck when Scott's mother sucked in her breath at hearing that comment. She quickly assured Greg that it wasn't true. "No! Let him know it's not true!"

Sam edged closer to Scott. "Scott, I can promise you that your family will not be better off without you. They'll miss you just like I miss my sister. I won't lie to you, I miss her every day. And my parents, you don't want to know how unhappy they are when they think of her. they miss her every day. Your parents will feel the same way if you kill yourself. They will think it is their fault." Sam continued his advance toward Scott, followed closely by a protesting Ed. "They will want to know what they should have done differently for you." Sam could see the boy calming down a bit.

"No, I don't want my parents to hurt like I do, but what do I do? How do I feel better? You promise that I will feel better someday?" he questioned hopefully.

"Yes, you will feel better. You talk to someone who has been there, who can help you process it all. This is a lot for anyone to understand, but you have to let your parents help. You don't talk just once. You talk a lot. It will take weeks, maybe even months, but things will get better. You'll see. There are so many exciting things in life ahead of you. You just have to do it twice as good for your friend Joe. Make him proud of you."

Scott dropped the gun and sank to the ground sobbing. His mother came rushing out of the truck and was allowed to comfort him before he was led away for processing and treatment, followed closely by his mother.

"Thank you, thank you for saving my son!" Scott's mother stopped a moment to hug Sam gratefully. "I'll see that he gets the counseling that he needs." The gathered teens also gave Sam a thumbs up for talking down their friend.

Greg paused beside Sam, saying, "Good job, Sam. I knew you could do it." As the other team members crossed the field beside Sam, they gave him good natured shoulder bumps indicating that they were glad he was unharmed. Sam was feeling pretty good about his successful negotiation until he caught a glimpse of the flames shooting from Jules' brown eyes. They were nearly golden with flames. He knew he was in big trouble. And he knew what she was feeling, the same emotions he felt a few weeks ago when she'd faced down the kidnapped teen armed with a shotgun. He wasn't looking forward to their post-work personal informal debriefing session... Then he realized that it might not be so bad after all. And he retreated to the SUV with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4 Post-Incident Response

Author's Note: According to the interview between Greg and Dr. Toth in "_Fault Lines_," only two weeks elapsed between the knifing in "_Backwards Day_" and Jules getting shot in "_Between Heartbeats_." For the purposes of this story, I'm going to stretch out the time between "_Eagle Two_" and "_Backwards Day_." You readers aren't opposed to more JAM time, are you? I really don't like to think about them only having three weeks together the first time around. Remember, reviews are eye candy to authors, so please review.

Disclaimer: FYI, I write for my pleasure and I hope your enjoyment. The characters are not mine; they were created by the producers of _Flashpoint_ and apparently a half dozen other entities affiliated with the production of the TV series. They belong to those people. I just take them out and play with them occasionally. Or is it let them play with each other?

* * *

Sam delayed his exit from the locker room as long he could. He was in no hurry to face Jules' ire. He'd seen the fireworks shooting from her eyes as the Team exited the ball field earlier. It didn't take a crystal ball to know that he was in for some serious words from Jules.

To his surprise, she wasn't there waiting for him in the hall. Since the conversation they were about to have should not be witnessed by any teammates, he quietly left the SRU building and headed home. He didn't need to change, but he did need to regroup. He'd go over to Jules' house later.

Jules quickly rushed through her changing routine and headed home. What she had to say to Sam could not be said at the Barn where there might be witnesses. She'd give him some time to show up at her house. If he didn't, she'd head over to his apartment.

On her drive home, she thought about their relationship so far. Yes, the cocky blond sniper had intrigued her from the first moment he tried to pick her up at a scene. The guys had her back when he reached into his pocket while talking about his gun. It took the Commander's order to stand down to make her put her gun away even after the other guys had holstered theirs. She'd enjoyed throwing the targets in the shoot house on his first day of skills assessments. She'd particularly enjoyed it when Ed had given Sam the bogus coffee assignment on his first hot call. He'd made the typical rookie mistake of wanting to rush in too quickly. SRU didn't do fast, not when they needed to make time for negotiations first. Still, she had to admit -reluctantly- that Sam was quickly becoming a good addition to the Team.

She really had tried to deflect his attentions the day he'd asked her out for a burrito after work. Being the only female in SRU had its perks as well as its disadvantages. One of the latter being always under a microscope when it came to her behavior and following the rules. She had never been a follow the rules type of girl, certainly not when she was a teen-ager and suffering the loss of her mother. There wasn't a rule she hadn't tried to break then. She usually succeeded at whatever she attempted, so there were a lot of broken rules in her past. Fraternizing with a coworker was not one she really wanted to break right now. She'd been trying so hard to keep her distance, but Sam had a way of worming himself into her thoughts and life. She spent way too many of her off hours thinking about the man. Even the reno work on her house couldn't prevent the thoughts from intruding. Actually mindless painting and drywall patching just gave her more time to think. There was just something about his clear blue eyes, the way they studied her and seemed to twinkle whenever he glanced at her. She hoped she was the only person on the Team who noticed that!

Then those kisses! After the first one in front of the Royal York Hotel, Sam had sought her out after work nearly every shift with some excuse or another. They'd grab burgers or burritos or breakfast and talk about the incident of the day. She had to admit that their post-shift gabfests were great at debriefing from the day. She'd come to appreciate them, but it was getting harder and harder to avoid moving forward in the relationship. Sam was certainly determined to reach the next level. Could she accept that? How could she not?

The evenings the team had gone to the Goose for an after work drink were some of the most difficult. Sam would either sit next to her and touch her underneath the table or he would sit across from her and play games with his eyes. Both situations kept her from following the conversations around the table with the Team. She'd ended up saying "huh?" way too much. They knew her. They'd begin to wonder. And that worried her.

She'd known she was in big trouble today when her heart stumbled as the bullet hit the ground near Sam's feet. When a kid was waving a gun around, no one was safe. Sam was fortunate the bullet hadn't been aimed at him. The gun had gone off accidentally and missed everyone. But Jules was honest with herself, seeing Sam nearly get shot had done something to her. She could no longer pretend to be disinterested, not when her heart and mind had other ideas. So she was heading home to wait for Sam's arrival and the inevitable confrontation with him. She wouldn't even speculate about how that could end. Or maybe she just wanted to postpone thinking about the inevitable. She usually didn't avoid difficult topics, but this particular one was not the norm.

With some trepidation, Sam knocked on Jules' door. While eager to see her again, he was not eager to listen to her light into him for the risks he had taken today. Their job was nothing but risks, and today had not really been all that dangerous. He had faced off with an emotional kid bent on self-destruction, not one determined to harm others. He was just glad he'd been able to get through to the kid.

Deciding that being the attacker rather than the attackee might work to his advantage, Sam advanced on Jules as soon as she opened her door to him. He wrapped her in his arms and placed warm moist lips on hers and proceeded to practically scramble her brains.

"I'm sorry you got worried today," he apologized huskily and wondered why he thought this had been a good idea. Now he couldn't think. But he was still clear headed enough to shut the door behind him. No sense in the neighbors seeing everything.

"I know. It's the job. I get that," she agreed. "It still doesn't make it easier when someone is shooting a gun without aiming. Bullets don't care who they hit. You still got too close to an agitated teen with a gun!" She slapped at his shoulder as she spoke. "Why do you think it's protocol for us to move the civilians out of the area?"

"But no one got hurt. The kid is going to get the help he needs. We kept the peace today."

"Yeah, yeah, but I still worry," she reluctantly agreed.

"So do I! It's not easy for me either when I see you in danger or get hurt," Sam nearly exploded. "I never told you exactly how bad your back was after that fall from the media tower. It made me hurt just to look at it. You kept saying you were okay, but I could see for myself that you weren't."

"I was okay," Jules reiterated. "I just couldn't do chin ups for a few days! I still think you were too reckless today."

"I get that. Not gonna stop doing my job just 'cause you think I'm getting too close to a subject." Sam was beginning to get angry. He did get that Jules had been worried. He'd worried about her doing the job since the day he met her. He always kept an extra eye on her when on scene. Now she was worried about him. Oh. Maybe that's a good thing.

Before he had time to speculate on that intriguing topic, she changed the subject.

"I was just getting a sandwich for myself. Do you want one?" she asked.

Okay, this Jules was beginning to confuse Sam. She was acting totally out of character. Where was the tongue lashing he was expecting? So far it hadn't been too bad. She really did know how to keep him off balance. He was hungry, so why not eat with her? It had been a long day. Any day with a confrontation with a subject was a long day even when the incident lasted a short time, such as today. They'd spent maybe an hour talking the kid into relinquishing his gun. Debrief hadn't taken long since no controversies had arisen over the handling of the crisis.

Jules led the way to her kitchen which opened onto the living area. Separating the kitchen from the dining area was a bar for seating and food preparation. The sandwich fixings were already laid out on the bar. She really had been fixing supper. Sam began preparing a sandwich for himself. They ate quietly and hungrily. Sam began to worry again because a Jules without words was not usually one he wanted to tangle with. She almost always had something to say. He was sure she was holding back.


	5. Chapter 5

Eagle Three 5A

Author's Note: The fifth chapter of my story is moved to the M section. To continue with this story, please go look for it there with the title of Eagle Three M. I know, not very original, but it gets the message across. The content is not suitable for younger readers or anyone who doesn't like to read about adult interactions. Sorry to make you change locations for reading this story, but I want to keep the first parts here and not move the whole story.

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Sam was getting nervous. They'd finished eating their sandwiches and yet Jules still hadn't said anything about the events of the day. It was't like her to not say anything. They were putting everything away to leave the kitchen neat and tidy just the way Jules liked it. Once that chore was finished, she rounded on him. "You could have been shot today!" She poked him in the chest to emphasize her words. "Why did you get so close to him? Boss kept telling you to back up."

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Look for the rest of the story in the M section.


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